#by going back nor do they go forward until they succeed. the version that died isnt in another timeline. it is the same saint that lived

[salsa-di-pomodoro]

(I. ran out of space in the tags 🥲 Read those first then the post. Also sorry if i sound odd or repeat a lot the same words, i tend to already think in circles on my own for Reasons (i am getting a diagnosis), so all this talk of repeating cycles is hard to think about while keeping a clear mind (and i am not a native english speaker). Also it's a hard thing to explain and i already have trouble explaining myself normally because i go on tangents i will otherwise forget lol. Which doesn't help here. I got overwhelmed by outside forces too which definetly didn't help.)

What i think is everything that could happen during a cycle has happened/will happen/is happening but if saint ascends you then that's the only thing that will happen regardless. That cycle doesn't change for you it's the only one that. Stops cycling? It's the only one that isn't a cycle and therefore it's impossible for it to have different outcomes, in your current timeline that stemmed from a particular version of a previous cycle. In other timelines it IS different but only because the cycle was different before your last one.

Basically it's. I don't think that's the right name for it but i'd call it a singularity. While every moment previous to that could create a different timeline, ascension by saint is the one thing that when it happens, it is the only thing that doesn't branch off into different timelines. Everything that happens after that can again start to branch off but you'll still be ascended in every possible following moment of every timeline since that. I'm still not making sense. i would draw a diagram but i can't draw

As for saint themself, i'm not sure what their fare means, but it think they are indeed an echo and in that they keep waking up in the same cycle that they already passed, though this time without very clear memories (like they know what happened but they don't recall it as something that has happened. So they do it again with the knowledge that they already have but they keep doing it because they haven't really, not in this version of the cycle), but then a different version of them also just. Moves on. It's not original saint maybe, but considering they're the only one that can't have the end they're granting others, i think that's a given. The other version i'm not sure of the logistics but they probably keep on going back to the physical world to continue their mission in every coming cycle. It's a different saint since it goes forward in time, but it's also the same one, just in a future cycle. They seem to want to ascend the iterators and they can understand them (i like to think its because a mark of communication would carry over if you came back from the void sea, even if it technically hasn't happened yet or might not happen this time).

So yeah in conclusion saint is the only one who is very very aware of every cycle they've ever lived and also the only one who is seemingly cursed to never be able to ascend. Their cycle isn't much different than everyone else's except instead of reincarnating when they die they just wake up again in the cycle they died in without going forward in any way like i said the others do in the tags (so it isn't possible for a timeline where saint has died to exist because it doesn't branch off. Because saint goes back). And the only way they sort of go forward in any way is by reincarnating back into themself after ascending and moving to ascend another iterator and therefore starting it all all over again, while the other version of them becomes an echo and starts the same cycle all over again, and they're aware of all of it. I think that's the terrible fate Pebbles, Moon and the echoes were talking about, and also the reason they can't see saint's beginning or end. In their perspective there isn't one, because the cycle has ended for them and they are unable to see anything other than that one. They cannot see anything but saint repeating the same cycle over and over again. I am not sure if they can see that they will go forward in other versions of themself but they sure are confused about it.

Not sure about the part where they doubt that it's real but seeing everything like that would probably not feel real to me either. Though it IS real to them. Having ascended, they will not wake up again, dream or not, real or not. Saint cannot ever truly ascend, and therefore will, and needs to wake up again. They crossed the point of no return, but even so they just end up back where they started. By taking a step back and choosing to wake up they are able to control it, i think? They don't just go back, they also go forward. If they didn't wake up again they would just become an echo. When they choose to wake up they go from echo to real again and what i said before can happen. If they didn't, they would just be an echo until they chose to wake up anyway.

Again sorry if i sound confusing or confused. I very much am confused but i wanted to at least try to even vaguely convey in what way exactly i (respectfully!) disagree. I hope i succeeded even a little bit.

Also. I'm glad you enjoy my rambles! I promise they're never going to be this long ever again. I hope :')

@salsa-di-pomodoro i do not mind and it's pretty interesting to read your takes.

[abanomath]

Retconning Sexuality vs New Characters

One of the usual comments whenever a comic character comes out is “But why don’t they just make new LGBT characters instead of changing old ones” and figured I’d kind of explain why, at least, I support changing old characters. 

(For this discussion I’m going to use Marvel examples because I spent hours doing the pictures for Marvel and don’t want to spend time doing DC too).

The overarching reasons essentially come down to this: Comic characters ride on their old popularity more than people seem to think. And it needs to be acknowledged the role nostalgia plays in comic sales. If it didn’t Marvel wouldn’t go to great lengths to keep bringing back dead characters from the silver age to the 90s, create a timescale specifically to avoid aging their characters, or continually hearken back to old events regularly. DC wouldn’t force Batman into every book under the sun because he has the name recognition. 

For every new character that succeeds, such as Kamala or Miles, dozens disappear into the annals of small Marvel wikia pages. And even those, most really build upon legacies of those mainline heroes. 

With that acknowledgement also comes the problem - most of these characters are white, heterosexual, Christian (and occasionally Jewish). And have been for decades upon decades. Over the past twenty years, there has been a lot of work done to try and rectify this and have even a semblance of representation for the various groups that read comics. 

Someone on Reddit put it best “Marvel/DC are fundamentally about fanfics of fanfics of fanfics”. And like fanfic writers, they are constantly making changes to keep up with the audience. A lot of comic stories are very outdated, and writers update them. 

We see this in all aspects of characters, not just their sexual orientation and race. If Reed Richard’s was written like Stan Lee wrote him, accusations of sexism would be commonplace. Deadpool was basically Slade Wilson, but Marvel, until a new writer came along and changed his personality. The X-men are going through a dramatic shift, a rejuvenation, as they are reinvented after years of being shit on. Cates has recently retconned tons of Symbiote lore and his run is great.

Comic characters are constantly being reinvented to keep stories fresh and interesting to the audience. The difference for what is a central aspect of a character and “forcing change” is time. Northstar wasn’t always gay. He wasn’t allowed to be gay, no character was at Marvel for a long time. He was retconned. Rictor was retconned. Shatterstar was retconned. 

These are some of the oldest, most high profile gay characters at Marvel. And they were retcons. But since it has been some time since the retcons (Northstar now 30 years), they are just parts of the characters. 

I want to use a visual. This is art by the wonder Luciano Vecchio. It's fanart, but it’ll serve the purpose of an example. It's not a complete drawing of every LGBT character in marvel, but it has enough to illustrate the point.

Now I’m going to grey out all the character’s that weren’t originally gay. This means, the characters that either weren’t allowed to be gay (because of Marvel editorials), or were reinvented as LGBT by later writers. You’ll notice immediately how so many of the big recognizable LGBT characters are greyed out. Deadpool, Valkyrie, MAC, Loki, Rictor & Shatterstar, Northstar, Moondragon, etc. Even poor little Tong was retconned in by Fraction. Nor was Karma established as a lesbian for many years after her debut. Mystique and Destiny, despite having subtext, were only confirmed to be lovers in 2019. 

Now I’m going to take out the alternate universe versions and “implied characters” (aka, characters that were implied to be LGBT but not confirmed till much later). Herc is gone (despite being historically bisexual, Marvel insists he is straight in 616), Jessica Drew is gone, Colossus (who is hard to see), is also gone. Daken is really the big “implied” character. Despite kissing a man in his initial run as part of a ploy (and then killing him), Daken’s sexuality wasn’t more explicit for several years until Dark Wolverine, and wasn’t confirmed until 2011. 

Next I’m going to illustrate the “new character” problem. I’m going to grey out all the characters that have less than 40 main appearances. Why 40? It is arbitrary, but the idea is that its enough appearances that means the character has probably been used by multiple writers (though not always the case, such as Vivsector who was basically used almost exclusively by Peter Milligan).

And you see that almost all the characters are now grey. Even this list of 15 characters (Billy, Teddy, Karolina, Bling, Morph, Phylla Vell, POD, Toni Ho, Angela, Anole, Victoria Hand, Graymalkin, Vivsector, Striker and Doop) come with their own caveats. 

Striker, despite meeting the threshold, hasn’t made an actual comic appearance in 5 years, and almost all his appearances were in Avengers Academy (with cameos in other series like Young Avengers). Doop is a complete joke character. Victoria Hand was a Dark Reign character that died 8 years ago and will likely never return. Angela, if you count her real-world circumstances with spawn, is technically a retcon. Even Anole, who has the most appearances of any LGBT character that started LGBTA, has basically been a cameo in recent years. 

And this is the inherent problem with the “well just make new characters”. They have. Several times. What happens to the majority of them is that the second the writer is done with them, they are tossed aside. Why?

Because they don’t have the history to propel them forward. The history that Marvel and DC have based their entire business model around. 

[lorrynha]

So there was this thread I wanted to write since I saw bnha288 leaks, and I told myself I wouldn't get back to social media until I finished writing it...

Turns out I'm really really slow at writing, and could manage just to get half of it done 💔

Anyway, I thought it'd be better to post half of it than nothing, since the chapter will come out this week anyway 😅

So here's the half I got done, I hope you like it 🤗

I can't talk enough about how much I loved bnha288. Not just because it gave us some badass Ochako moments we've been waiting since this arc began, and the fact that part of it is her rematch with Toga Himiko is absolutely perfect, but also how this very fight can help develop how Uraraka sees hero society and, more importantly, how this will develop her character even more.

But first, let's discuss what might happen on #bnha289:

IMO there are basically three ways this fight is gonna go down:

• Someone is gonna interrupt them;

• Toga wins;

• Ochako wins.

First of all, I do not like the first one. This is the rematch most of us have been waiting for the most (yes, more than a Deku x Bakugou rematch). It's their moment, with no one to be in their way.

About the last two, first thing to say is that I had a feeling that Mr Compress' marble was totally a chekhov's gun as soon as I saw it, and I'm completely sure that the winner is gonna use it to capture the loser.

Now the second one (Toga wins) is... complicated, to say the least.

Someone might say "I wanna Toga to capture Ochako so she'll have another great rescue arc like Bakugou had". Well... yes, but actually no.

You see, the LOV captured Bakugou for a very specific reason. They wanted that very arrogant and explosive boy, with in their eyes very much potential to become a villian, to turn sides an joint them. But that wasn't what happened. In fact, that arc, and his spare against Midoriya that came after that just how much he wants to be a hero, despite of this very flawed personality.

That rescuing arc not only showed us how the other characters felt about that, but most importantly it showed us how Bakugou really is: he will never become a villian. He had always been a power hunger person, always aiming for being stronger, but he wants to do it all while being a hero. He's not willing to change sides just for power.

Now getting back to Ochako, I ask you: if she lost and was captured by Toga, what would this tell us about both of them?

First, it'd establish that Toga is a sadistic sociopath that wants to keep Ochako for herself because she's obsessed with her. And, well, we already know that. And if that happened, I don't believe Toga would tell the LOV she has Ochako literally in her hands, becuase unlike what happened with Bakugou, they have no intention on turning Ochako to their side, and Toga knows that keeping a hero as a hostage just for fun would cause trouble to the League. I'd be a rather meaningless capture, just to traumatise Ochako to hating Toga and the LOV even more.

Second, it'd establish that Ochako is weak and unskilled, wich is not true. Ochako has been a hero in training for almost a year, and Toga is just a regular girl that joined the LOV few months ago. And think about it: On their first fight, even when Toga was pinned down, she was able to destabilize Ochako just buy calling out her crush and telling her they were alike. Now at the very last page of chapter 288 we have the exact opposite thing happening: Toga is pinning Ochako down, and Ochako's is completly ignoring what Toga is saying so she can focus on her mission. Wouldn't it be very disappointing if Ochako lost again, showing us that she didn't actually made that much progress in her physical, mental and emotional skills since their last fight?

Now I think it's gonna be way more interesting if Ochako wins. Because despite defeating the villain, she won't feel happy nor proud about it. Instead, she might feel confused, wondering if the hero's side is in fact the "good side" of this war.

No, this is not a "Ochako becomes a traitor" theory. She still wants to be a hero, she still wants to go to UA, but now something is bothering her.

That's how I picture chapter 289 in my head:

They're gonna fight, and it's gonna be so badass.

Toga will get to hurt Ochako, scratching her face, her arm or something, but then Ochako manages to steal away Toga's knife and pin her down. Toga is totally trapped, there's nothing more she can do, and Ochako is holding that knife, pointing it at her...

Toga: so, heroine... Are you going to kill me? Are you going to kill me, just like you "heros" did with Jin?

Ochako: Jin? Who's Jin?

Toga: See??? You don't even know his name! So he wasn't a real person to you, right? So you could save him too? Why did you have to kill him!?

Ochako is devastated. She knows they are the villains, she knows they are just getting what they deserve. But here is Toga... not just that random villian that had attacked her, but a girl like her, a girl just her age, crying over the death of a dear friend...

Toga: You call us the villains, but you are even worse!

Toga is very good at disguising her self for deceiving others, just like she did with her a very few minutes ago. She needs to be great at acting and lying to succeed. But right now... Ochako knows she's not faking it. She's genuinely sad.

Ochako: No... I'm not gonna kill you...

She drops the knife in the ground beside them and reveals she has a tiny shiny green ball in her hands.

Ochako: But I can't let you go either.

She then uses that marble to trap Toga.

Ochako watches the girl vanishing in front of her eyes in mere seconds.

"Toga-chan... I'm... I'm sorry... I can't save you right now..." Ochako can see a very little version of Toga inside the marble. She hugs it with her hands and cries quietly.

She spends very few seconds crying. She knows she must get back to their mission. Ochako puts it in her uniform and... her pocket is already filled with something.

Oh, right, that little All Might keychain she was gifted on their Christmass party.

She looks at both of them: the keychain in one hand and the marble in the other one. The hero and the villain, the good and the evil...

Ochako is way too confused right now. But she cannot think about all of that right now. She wipes away her tears and run back to Tsuyu. End of the chapter.

I know I'm probably wrong on my headcanons because I'm not a good writer like Horikoshi is, and I know he and his team already wrote a very great chapter, that I'm for sure gonna love and brag about. But, even so, I do really like this headcanon of mine.

What's the core of Ochako's character? She wants to be a hero because she always wanted to help people. She's also happy and lively girl that likes to cheer everyone up, especially their friends.

We can see how she and Iida literally adopted little introverted Izuku and they became a best friends trio. We see she also became Tsuyu best friend, a girl that's also a little reserved.

At first, she wanted to be a hero basically for the job. And yet, not just for the money, but for helping her parents to have a easier life.

She also realised that helping people also includes not getting in anyones way. She thought a relationship would only disturb hers and Deku's focus on being heroes. So she ignored her crush on him, while using these same feelings as a thrust to keeping moving forward.

(and even if my shipper side felt sad when I first watched this, I have to admit this was a great mature decision of her, and the story wouldn't be as good as it is if she had confessed to him that time. It's great that Kohei is giving time for both their relationship and for their character development)

On the Overhaul arc, right after Sir. Night Eye died in her hands, her motivation developed to "I want to help people" to "I want to save people". Now she was 100% sure about what kind of hero she wanted to be: she wanted to be a rescue hero.

When she saved Deku from Black Whip, she asked herself: "of heroes save others, than who's gonna save them when they need it?". This is a very important moment, because while we know who she's talking about right now, she is still subconsciously thinking furtherly: "who's gonna save the people we usually forget to save?"

And now we're watching her making probably one of the most important steps of her development: "Who's gonna save the villains? If we are heroes, why are we killing them, defeating them, when they're just humans like us that need to be saved?"

Ochako is not the traitor and she never will be. She's still mad at Toga and at the villains. She knows that this danm war is their fault. She just wants it to end as soon as possible, and to everyone to be safe and sound. She's sure that the villains side is the worst thing ever, just as bad as it ever could be. But the point is: why isn't the heroes side as good and perfect as it should be?

----------------------------------------------------------

I wanted to make a part two talking about how Ochako will eventually help Izuku realize that the hero society is not as perfect as he think it is, and how this would be great character development for him. Maybe I'll finish writing it someday 😆😌

Thank you so much for reading this tread. I really hope you like it. Please feel free to comment sharing your opinions on what you agree and disagree about all of this, I'm highly open for your reviews on my thoughts 💗

[hellreads]

Chapters: 9/9 Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Kim Namjoon | RM & Reader, Kim Seokjin | Jin & Reader Characters: Kim Namjoon | RM, Kim Seokjin | Jin, Min Yoongi | Suga Additional Tags: Explicit Sexual Content, Explicit Language, Cheating, Breeding, Pregnancy, Sex Toys, Running Away, Divorce, Post-Divorce

Summary:

You and your husband Jin have what appears to be a picture-perfect life. But behind closed doors, your sexual relationship is severely lacking, and when Jin's best friend, Namjoon becomes newly single, things become interesting.

“It’s not that he gives me anything... He just… he remembers the person that I was when I had nothing. He just accepts me.”

[SPOILERS AHEAD]

honestly I was not planning on reading anything that will hurt my heart but here I am, I wouldn’t say that this broke me but I would recommend this to everyone who’s struggling in their relationships, but you don’t have to commit infidelity to see the signs and know that you’re no longer happy, no longer satisfied, no longer you...

so what made me start reading? obviously it’s the Seokjin x Reader x Namjoon bait lol jk but yeah that’s the truth, I wanted to read something with these two when I saw this story on ao3 ~ I won’t be spoiling a lot here nor will I highlight all of their flaws, they’re only human and make mistakes tho but that does not justify the cheating but if you read this and you have an open mind or have gone through the same dilemma/s you would understand all parties, you will have sympathy for each one of them but ultimately feel that being unfaithful isn’t the way to go but it happened, it happens.

let’s focus on how and when things got complicated, it may seem like MC was selfish that’s why she ended up doing what she did but it was more than carnal desires that made her fall into Namjoon’s arms, and it may also seem that Namjoon was an asshole for not considering Jin in the equation ~ well he kinda is because he could’ve waited but wbk that waiting won’t make anything happen - still not the best way to go because it’s messy af. but if you consider all of their individual feelings all of them are victims here. 

Jin, he was very loving but he had this Picture Perfect version of his marriage in his head, he provides well, he did everything to give MC and their future kids the best life possible he was too focused on making things perfect he forgot that marriage only works when both parties are invested and passionately dedicated to it. MC, the wife who was once a wild child with wild dreams, she was an aspiring singer (thanks to her gigs she met her husband Jin and his best friend Namjoon) whose dreams had died the moment she walked down the aisle, honestly this could’ve been prevented if there was communication between Jin and her but there was none, her duty was to be a wife who will tend to his needs, she became a wife first before herself which is a huge concern, you don’t change the person you love when you enter a relationship or when you get married, our duty is to love them and not turn them into what we want them to be, they seemed so perfect on the outside but they’re so disconnected on the inside, he doesn’t support her dreams (there will be a dialogue here from Jin that will put you off like why would you say that knowing she’s so in love with doing that thing...) and he can’t even meet her halfway in bed and that’s just ugh. Namjoon, sigh, poor boy, time was not on his side he could’ve been with MC from the start but Jin was smoother and faster at claiming her heart it was painful knowing their history, he loved and still loves MC for who she is, in his eyes she’ll always be the aspiring singer he met one fateful night and that will never change ~ i’d say the feeling was mutual because MC saw him as someone who’s always been there for her, he was a source of light during her darkest days with Jin and even if there was hope, time still wasn’t kind to him and before he knew it she’s walking towards Jin in her wedding dress promising forever ‘til death do them part.

fast forward to MC and Namjoon starting their affair, they were plagued with guilt but even if they decided that they had to stop whatever they started right away the universe keeps pulling them back together, Jin changed for the better because he had this desire to start a family, to raise their child, everything he failed to give to MC suddenly was given in excessive amounts but she was no longer excited with his enthusiasm, her thoughts were filled with Namjoon. spending time away from each other kinda helped but they eventually had to meet up because of Namjoon’s work, it was like fate working its magic to bring back everything she had lost when she agreed to marry Jin, it’s not like it was a curse being with him, it’s just that hmmm not because things worked out when you were still together as boyfriend/girlfriend it doesn’t mean things will always be as pleasant and smooth when you decide to marry, things will get harder and you have to work hard to make everything work but of course not everyone is meant to succeed, some marriages fall apart and in their case it’s because there’s lack of communication and support ~ if only MC expressed her love for singing to Jin, tell her how much it means to her, if only he listened and gave her freedom and support then things might’ve been better but you know what maybe they were never really meant to be together.

the moment they got caught I never felt this pang in my heart rather I felt like finally they’re caught, they will no longer have to lie to Jin’s face, it’s time they make things right, he doesn’t deserve any of this, what he deserves is the truth because you don’t know how much it sucks being cheated on, you will fucking shrink into nothing and doubt and belittle yourself every single fucking day of your life until you get back to your senses and lift yourself up to move on, move forward. it’s just sad that despite what happened he still wanted to forgive her and be with her, I appreciate that instead of staying she chose what she really wanted to do, to free herself, to heal and eventually be with the person who makes her happy, who supports her dreams, who loves her for who she is, flaws and all. 

this wasn’t the Picture Perfect ending that Jin wanted but he was happy, they were happy, maybe they were really meant to have each other in their lives, Namjoon and MC are now living together, living their dreams and Jin finally have his kid, an unconventional family setting but as long as there’s love and happiness it’ll always be perfect. | 🍒🍒🍒🍒🍒

[theroseandcrown]

The Rose & Crown: Chapter Twenty-One (Part One)

Rating: M Chapters: 21/24

Summary: Unsure of his fate, the Doctor leaves his beloved sanctuary with the hope that he will succeed in his quest to bring his daughter down from the inside.

Read this story on another platform: Archive of Our Own Fan Fiction WattPad

A warm summer breeze welcomed him as he stepped onto the sandy beach and shut the door behind him. The rich aroma in the air filled his senses with the natural combination of sea salt and sweet nectar from the forest of blooming flowers just beyond the untouched soil. The sound of waves crashing upon the shoreline brought about a familiar sense of peace and serenity into his heavy hearts. Shielding his eyes from the light of the sun, he scanned the horizon until he came upon the presence of a familiar life form standing patiently at the shore’s wake. As she stood with her back turned to him, her long black cloak flowed with the wind as if it were dancing to the rhythm of a melody only it could hear. Taking a deep breath, he urged himself forward and approached the visitor from behind. His boots left a trail of impressions in the sand from his beloved sanctuary towards his uncertainty. Finally reaching her, he took his place at her side and tucked his hands into his pockets as they looked towards the brilliant sight ahead of them. The sun’s reflection upon the water’s surface glistened in a million different places as if the ocean itself were attempting to imitate its impressive light.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” he declared as if in mid-conversation, taking the moment of temporary calm to breathe the fresh air around them as if it would be his last. “I used to come here whenever I had convinced myself that the vast well of internal hope had finally dried up. Back when nothing seemed to make sense anymore.” He paused as the memories of his past began to filter into his thoughts. She remained quiet at his words, lost inside of her turmoil as if searching for answers within the seemingly endless horizon. “I used to think this place had a way of making you feel a hundred years younger. Sort of like regenerating without all the fuss. You could leave here feeling entirely brand new. Cleansed of a lifetime’s worth of hatred and pain from your reflection. Not this face though, never this face. It’s the eyebrows, they’re much too cross.” In her continued silence, he absent-mindedly dug the tip of his boot into the damp sand and watched as the air bubbles trapped underneath arose to the surface.

“How did you find me?” she finally spoke from behind her shaded mask, unwilling to abandon her outward gaze to glance in his direction.

“Oh, I’m really clever,” he replied casually, keeping their conversation to a certain level of gentlemanly discretion.

“Whatever you have planned, it won’t work,” she insisted through the disguise in her voice.

“If you really believe that, then why did you come?”

She hesitated for a moment as if carefully considering her answer. “Curiosity perhaps.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.” He glanced towards her, catching a glimpse of his reflection upon the side of her face as he attempted to study what little she had to offer beyond her hidden expression. “Why the mask? Are you so ashamed of what you are?”

She smirked at his question, reminding herself of his ability to shield his underlying intentions beneath his words. “We all wear masks, Doctor. Even you.” She looked to him, finally acknowledging his presence beside her for the first time. “The Raven is not a face. It is but a concept defined and moulded over time. Faces change, as you know. But ideas are everlasting. Rid a world of one evil and another will soon rise in its place. It is an inevitability.”

“Oh? And which are you? Evil or inevitable? There’s a difference,” he retorted, trying to break through her defences to reach her the only way he knew how. “You know what else is inevitable? Life. Like evil, life will always find a way to exist. You can’t have one without the other, it doesn’t work. It all comes down to how we as passengers in this universe balance the two, no matter the path we have found ourselves on.”

Quynn laughed quietly to herself, keeping her mother’s words of wisdom fresh within her mind. “We make our own paths, Doctor. When it comes to the natural order of good versus evil, I was always taught that one is better equipped at prevailing over the other.”

“Well then, perhaps you haven’t found the right teacher,” he suggested. “Lesson number one - never mistake kindness for weakness.”

“Wise words, for a murderer,” she noted, glaring him down. “There’s a reason your very name strikes fear in the hearts of those who would rise against you. Perhaps we’re not so different, you and I.”

He sighed and hung his head at his daughter’s accusations, unable to refute nor ignore the accuracy behind them. He hoped she would have seen more to him than what she had been led to believe, that he stood for something greater than the terrible things he had done in his past. But how could she? Beyond the hearts she bore that he gave her, apart from the blood they shared that flowed through their veins, they were nothing more than strangers. As far as she was concerned, she had no father. He had never been there for her. She had no reason to believe he wasn’t everything Missy portrayed him to be. And yet, he still felt there was a chance he could open her eyes to the side of him she hadn’t seen before. As long as there remained hope he could have a future with her in his life, he would never give up trying. “It’s true. I’ve shed more blood than you can even imagine. I’ve lived long enough to know that in the end, when all others have fallen, there will only be one person still standing on the empty battlefield. And I’ve spent most of my life making sure that person would be me.” He lifted his head and attempted to explain the inner demons buried underneath a lifetime’s worth of denial and self-hatred so that she would understand his pain. “I never claimed to be a hero. I never asked for that. People like us, we go on too long. Our perspectives are too vast, too far away. When you get around to being as old as I am, you tend to lose track of what’s important. You reach a point where everything starts to look the same. Faces, planets, stars, ...wars. They all blend together. You begin to forget which side you’re fighting on. You start to realize your version of good and evil is not absolute. It’s vain and arrogant and sometimes even a little bit sentimental. But you still try. And maybe, just maybe, nothing you do will even matter in the end. The same mistakes will be made, wars will still be fought, hearts will still be broken.”

“So why do it then? Why protect them?” she asked, unsure of what he was trying to accomplish with his confession.

“That’s a rather good question, isn’t it? The answer, of course, is that life is very fleeting when you’re not immortal. For every billion of them you meet, there will be one who truly understands how beautiful and precious life is. They make every moment count. You may not understand this now, but one day, when there are no more worlds left to conquer, no more people left to fall, you’ll find yourself all alone in this universe.”

A moment of silence passed between them as they returned their attention towards the view ahead. Quynn took advantage of the absence of words to grasp what he was trying to say. His wisdom was far beyond her understanding of the universe. And yet, a part of her envied him. He was free to traverse the stars as he pleased, unburdened by the reins that would try to steer him from his desires. He was answerable to no one but himself. She yearned for the day she would no longer be forced to assume the role of errand boy by her mother’s command. That she too would be free to make her own choices. Perhaps, buried somewhere beneath the layers of her training and loathing of him, there was a part of her that desired to be saved. “Why have you brought me here?” she finally addressed him.

“For the same reason you came. Deep down, we both know there is something much larger than our indifference happening all around us than we have been led to believe.” He paused as if waiting for some kind of validation or enlightenment to take place between them. In her returned silence, he sighed and looked towards the horizon once more. He took a moment to clear his thoughts, shedding them of everything he knew himself to be. Every witty exchange, every defeated army, every enemy he had ever brought to their knees by his cleverness alone. She was more to him than any of those he had come across. She deserved better. She deserved the truth. “I never wanted to be a father again,” he started, trying to bring himself to a level of maturity that she could understand. “I was so sure of it. I lost all of that a long time ago, along with everything else. I convinced myself I could never again face the responsibility. The hole they left, the pain that filled it. It was just too much for me.” He turned to her and brought a smile to his face despite the woe he felt in his hearts by the memories of his past. “And then you came into existence. The veil suddenly lifted. Before I even knew what was happening, the old me had died and a new me had been reborn. I had fallen in love with that feeling all over again. I’ve watched you grow, I protected you, I offered you my love without ever asking for anything in return. And yet, the more I stood by watching as you thrived within your mother, the more I began to regret everything that had been and will be taken from me. The missed experiences, the lessons lost, the wounds I would never heal. I realized how badly I wanted you in my life. And I still do.”

Quynn snickered quietly to herself from beneath her mask as if invalidating his returned accusations. “So clever, and yet so set in your ways. I should commend you for your consistency. It only makes you that much easier to predict. Are you so desperate for my acceptance?”

“Are you so desperate to deny the possibility?” he countered.

She turned her head and narrowed her eyes to glare at the man before her, taking advantage of the glass separating him from her readable expression. “You are my sworn enemy. There’s nothing you could say that would make me believe you.”

“I don’t need you to believe me. I only need you to ask yourself one thing. What if I’m right?”

Quynn felt herself becoming more agitated the longer she endured the unyielding nature of their conversation, yet retained her calm demeanour so as not to offer him a reason to view her as weak. “Say you are. What difference would it make?”

“All the difference in the universe, I’d imagine,” he replied sincerely. He inhaled a deep breath and tried to find a way to relate to her on a more personal level. Even if it meant lowering his defences to succumb to a vulnerable state of mind for her to listen. “Quynn, I-” he started, but fell short of words as he sensed something of a rather disturbing nature beginning to form inside of him. Something he could not have anticipated. Before he could say anything more, he was suddenly hit with an excruciating amount of pain as if he had just been shot in the stomach. He cried out in agony and folded himself in front of her, his eyes wide with fear. His hands searched for an entry wound yet found nothing to suggest he had become a target. He lifted his gaze towards his daughter, taking notice of her current unarmed status, and quickly concluded that she was just as perplexed by his sudden malfunction as he. His mind burst into action over what could be happening to him. A part of him feared that his interference in altering the course of their fate had made a turn for the worse. That he had unintentionally doomed himself by the disruption he had caused. As the pain intensified, he found it difficult to think rational thoughts. He had been shot plenty of times before, but not like this. Whatever this was, it was significantly different than anything he had ever experienced. And suddenly, he understood.

“Clara!” he gasped. He looked to his daughter with a new sense of desperation in his eyes then turned his attention towards the TARDIS resting peacefully in the distance. Gathering himself to a standing position as best he could, he abandoned his position beside her and bolted in the direction of the blue doors. The journey back to his companion felt like an eternity as each step in the ship’s direction pulled him closer to collapsing in the sand.

Finally reaching the doors, he burst his way into the time machine. His eyes searched for his companion from the doorway. The first sound he heard upon entering was her screams from the other side of the console. “Clara?!” he called urgently, beginning to panic over what had become of her in his brief absence. Making his way to the other side of the room, he saw her standing against the railing next to one of the outer control panels.

“Doctor!” she shouted, gripping the rail as tightly as she could.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he came to observe the dampness of the floor she stood upon. Her frightened expression was matched only by the look of shock in his eyes at the sight of her. His thoughts raced as he realized exactly what was happening. Their time was finally up whether they were ready for it or not. And right now, there was no one further from ready than he. He quickly rushed to her side and carefully wrapped her in a tender embrace. It took every last ounce of will power remaining to fight his pain so he could concentrate on being what he needed to be for her.

“I’m sorry, Doctor. I didn’t know,” she admitted as fresh tears fell from her terrified face.

“Shhh, don’t be sorry,” he soothed her, running his hand through her hair in an attempt to comfort her. “I’m here now. You’re going to be alright. Everything is going to be fine.” Every part of her was shaking in his grasp as she desperately clung to his jacket. She cried out in agony as another harsh contraction tore through them both. He winced at its severity felt within him, fearing the shortened time between her strengthening pains proved things were progressing much faster than he originally envisioned them. His mind worked quickly to plot out exactly what was going to happen next. He took the time to silently curse himself for not having properly prepared for this moment. He had spent all of his spare time hoping to solve their way out of their paradoxal predicament before it had come to this point. Regaining his mind, he brought a trembling hand to press upon her belly in search of the position of their child. He could feel his companion’s muscles tense under his palm as they instinctively urged the baby downward. He couldn’t help but feel responsible for her unbearable suffering. He never meant to hurt her this way. If only he had known that his love for her would lead to so much pain.

As he continued to press along the surface of her abdomen, his senses suddenly activated to the presence of another entering the threshold of his domain. He heard Clara gasp at the sight of their new guest now standing in the open doorway of the ship. Following his companion’s gaze, his eyes met the silhouette of his daughter as she examined the bigger-on-the-inside space for the first time. He sighed and wondered to himself how their situation could get any worse. “You remember Quynn.”

“You brought her with you?!” Clara exclaimed through gritted teeth as her eyes shot back to him angrily.

“Well, now is as good a time as any to learn life’s valuable lesson about the birds and the bees. One less thing we have to worry about later,” he quipped, hoping his humour might lessen the murderous look in her eyes.

“You do know she wants to kill me, right?”

“Yes, well, that’s the trouble with family reunions, isn’t it? Someone’s bound to still be holding a grudge.”

Quynn seized the moment of opportunity during the chaos to cross the threshold of the unusually designed console room, running her gloved hand along the railing as she came around it. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. And yet, there was something about the way the ship pulsated with energy that felt comforting as if it were welcoming her. Her fingers traced lightly over the buttons on the panel beside her as she curiously proceeded farther into the space provided. “Your ship is impressive,” she addressed the old man from across the room. “I don’t believe I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.”

“Ah, well, I’d offer you a tour but I seem to have my hands full at the moment. But please, do make yourself at home,” he replied facetiously. He watched intently as she stopped at the end of the handrail near the stairs and leaned against it, crossing her arms in front of her.

“Sorry to interrupt whatever this is, but any chance we could continue this conversation in a real hospital, with actual doctors?!” Clara inquired urgently.

“About that,” he began apologetically. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you this, but it would appear as though we’re well past that point.”

“Seriously?!” she asked, hoping he was being funny. His face proved otherwise. “Great! That’s just brilliant! So floor then?” she asked heatedly.

“I’m afraid so,” he informed her, trying his hardest to be as understanding as possible to the emotions encompassing her.

“Well? Get on with it then!” she screamed between heavy breaths as another contraction ripped through her body.

He gritted his teeth and exhaled a painful groan at their shared affliction. Taking a moment to regain himself, he attempted to block the feeling from his mind, even if only a little, knowing he was of no use to her like this. A sudden rush of adrenaline shot through him at his success. “Right! Here we go!” he announced, springing into action. Releasing his grasp on her, he bolted towards the sofa on the upper platform and began to pull the cushions from it. Turning his attention towards Quynn, he pointed in her direction. “You, mopey one!” he openly addressed her. “Are you just going to stand there like a newel post or are you going to help me?!”

“You can’t be serious,” she uttered in shock.

“Do you wish to be born or not?!” he replied angrily, tossing a cushion over the railing in her direction. Catching it, she looked to him with a stilled expression he could only assume resembled dumbfoundedness hiding beneath her mask. “Now help me!” he ordered her. Taking up the throw blanket in his grasp, he headed down the stairs towards his frightened companion and laid it neatly on the grated floor. He worked quickly to remove his jacket and tossed it upon the console then began to roll up his sleeves in preparation. Glancing at his daughter, he realized she had yet to abandon her position as if she had been glued to the floor. “Why are you still standing there like an idiot?! C’mon, c’mon, c’mon!” he yelled, gesturing her forward. She hesitantly began to approach, unsure of how he managed to persuade her to do so. “And while you’re at it, bring that,” he pointed next to her at the medical bag he had used not so long ago during his last equally distressing experience. She reluctantly did as she was told as he rushed to his companion and gently took her by the arm and waist. “You’re alright. I’ve got you,” he assured her, slowly leading her towards the space he prepared for her.

As they came closer, Clara suddenly froze to the floor as a wave of fear drowned all the confidence stored within her. “I can’t do this,” she admitted, her body trembling in his grasp.

“Yes, you can,” he encouraged her, attempting to relieve her of her petrified state.

“I’m not ready.”

“I don’t think we have a choice.”

“I’m afraid, Doctor.”

“I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she managed to tease through her pain. He frowned at her humour. “Are you sure you can do this?”

“We’re about to find out,” he replied, herding her forward.

Quynn placed the medical bag at one end of the blanket then approached the couple to set the cushion down at the other. She looked to his companion and extended a gloved hand for her to take. Clara gasped fearfully at the familiar gesture and clung to the Doctor for protection. Quynn slowly lowered her hand in understanding, realizing her appearance was far from comforting. Though that never stopped her in the past, she knew her real purpose had yet to be fulfilled. Helping to put the terrified woman’s mind at ease was the least she could do. Hesitating for only a moment, she brought her hands to her hood and removed it from its position then started for the clasps that bound the mask securely to her face. Releasing it, she clipped it to her hip and allowed them to gaze upon her newly exposed form.

“Oh, that’s just unfair,” the Doctor griped childishly, then glanced down at his frightened companion. “Why does she get to be ginger?”

“Doctor, a little focus please!” Clara insisted, trying to find the courage to accept what was happening.

“Right,” he replied, shaking the distraction from his mind. Taking hold of her, he urged her forward as Quynn removed her gloves and offered a hand once more. Clara reluctantly accepted by carefully placing her hand in her daughter’s and allowed the Doctor and Quynn to help her to the floor to kneel beside her. Placing his hand behind her for support, he carefully leaned her against the cushion and brushed the hair from her face. “Is this alright?” he asked, hoping he had at least managed to aid in her level of comfort.

“Nothing about this is alright,” she answered, reminding him of their abnormal situation.

He glanced towards his daughter, inhaling a deep breath in preparation of what was to come, then manoeuvred himself to the other end of his companion. He hesitantly reached beneath her dress and carefully removed her undergarment, tossing it aside. He rolled the bottom part of her dress up to her waist to better understand what he was dealing with and concentrated on keeping his expression from revealing to anyone that he had no idea what he was doing. When it came to his efforts in studying human anatomy, he was not aware that grazing over the female reproductive system would later come with its own set of consequences. “Maybe there’s still time to locate River to assist with this,” he admitted his defeat prematurely.

“Your pregnant girlfriend is giving birth to your child and you want to invite your wife along. Have I got that right?” she bit back angrily.

“Well, when you put it like that-”

“Doctor!” she screamed, trying to hold back her pain.

“Right, right! Sorry!”

“Can you do this or not?!”

He inhaled a deep breath and tried his hardest to locate his confidence. “I can do this. I’m fairly certain I can do this. You wouldn’t happen to be part octopus, would you?” he asked, teetering between whether he was teasing or just being hopeful.

“When this is all over, remind me to slap you!” she cried as she was hit with a contraction more painful than anything she had experienced yet.

He winced severely and clutched his stomach, grunting heavily from the unexpected assault of their bond. “Fair enough,” he agreed from under his breath, knowing he’d probably deserve it. “Just remember to breathe, that’s the important thing.”

“Not helping!” she screamed irritably.

“I was talking to myself!” he responded, forcing his recovery.

She gritted her teeth as her body instinctively urged her to begin pushing. She shut her eyes and screamed again as she felt herself opening. Frightened tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She clenched her fists and tried to maintain her breathing as the pain intensified. She was suddenly taken by surprise when a warm hand was felt upon her own. She opened her eyes and glanced down, taking notice of Quynn’s unexpected gesture, then looked to her daughter’s sympathetic expression. Clara willed a weak smile to her face in appreciation and hesitantly unclenched her hand to close it around her daughter’s. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for shooting you.”

Quynn, surprised by Clara’s confession, glanced towards the Doctor’s raised brow. His eyes met hers and softened as if to beg forgiveness on his companion’s behalf. She wasn’t exactly sure of the emotions going on inside of her at that moment. She couldn’t help but wonder if faced with a similar situation, would she have done the same? She knew all too well how deeply the old man loved the woman who travelled with him wherever he went. The way he looked at her was unlike anything she had seen before. He was truly prepared to do anything for her. “I... understand,” she replied, conflicted by the thoughts invading her mind.

Clara groaned again as another wave of pain shattered the moment between them. “What’s going on down there?!” she shouted urgently, concerned by the lack of usual commentary from him.

“I’m not sure. I seem to have misplaced the manual,” he replied, distracting himself from his pain by staring into the void of her as if he were attempting to solve an unsolvable puzzle.

Ah, there he is, she thought, rolling her eyes with great irritation. “Can you see her?!” she yelled back, now regretting her previous question.

“Yes, I think so,” he replied unconvincingly. “Just out of curiosity, is she only supposed to have one head?”

“Yes, you idiot!” she yelled, trying to resist the urge to murder him.

“Good, I haven’t miscalculated then.” Removing himself from her delicate area, he came around to her side and gently placed a hand on her abdomen to rub it affectionately. “You’re doing well, Clara. Everything is going as it should be. I can see her. But now I need you to push for me.”

“I can’t!” she cried, exhausted both in mind and body.

“Yes, you can.”

“It hurts, Doctor!”

“I know. I know it does, Clara. Quite literally, actually.” He removed his hand from her middle to place it at his own, wincing as he rubbed the part of him still able to feel her pain. “Probably not the best time to bring it up, but I’m starting to have second thoughts about our bond,” he confessed, observing as she turned her head to glare at him with a rage-filled expression. “Never mind, it’s not important,” he quickly changed the subject. “The point is, you’ve been through so much already. You’ve been shot, kidnapped, torn apart. You’ve died and come back to life. Worst of all, you’ve had to put up with me through all of it. And when has that ever stopped you?”

She shook her head as her tears continued to fall down her face. “I can’t, not this. I’m not strong enough.”

He carefully wiped her tears away and gazed sympathetically into her eyes. “Clara, listen to me. You can do this. I know you can. You’re my impossible girl, there’s nothing you can’t do. The Clara I know would never have allowed herself to become defeated by this. You’re stronger than anyone in this room. And right now, I need you to prove it.” He leaned down and softly kissed her forehead, then returned his gaze to hers. “Now come on, my brave girl. Push for me.”

She stared into the eyes that begged her to trust him as the memories of everything they had ever done together came rushing back to her all at once. They were companions willing to push each other to extremes, and now was the time for her to show him what that had made of her. She smiled as best she could then took a deep breath and nodded with all the confidence she could gather from within her. “Alright, daft old man. Let’s do a thing.”

“You and me together. Just as we always have,” he added, smiling in her direction. Taking her hand in his, he tenderly kissed its surface then returned to the place he was needed the most. Looking to her, he nodded to let her know it was time for her to show him what she could really do.

She closed her eyes and concentrated on what she needed to accomplish. When she was ready, she gripped Quynn’s hand, took a deep breath, and pushed with everything she had left. She cried out in agonizing pain as their baby inched farther away from the place she had known for so long.

“That’s it! Push, Clara!” he called to her. Clara collapsed on the cushion in exhaustion, trying desperately to find the strength to continue. “Come on, Clara. You can do this, you’re nearly there!” he encouraged her. She inhaled another deep breath and began to push again as her screams resonated off the walls around them. “Good girl! That’s it!” he exclaimed.

She gasped for breath as her head hit the cushion once more. Every part of her felt drained of energy. The will to carry on had nearly been extinguished as her mind became diluted into believing she had nothing left to give. As her tears streamed down her face, she wanted so badly to give up. That she had finally found a task too great a challenge for her. Turning her head, her eyes met Quynn’s. As frightened as she was of everything her daughter stood for, for the first time it was as if she were looking upon her with an entirely new set of eyes. She realized the face that gazed back at hers had been shed of its identity just for her, just for this one moment. One small act of kindness. And for that, she understood what the Doctor saw buried deep within her. She could see his love, though very faint, trying desperately to break through. Perhaps he had been right all along. Perhaps something more than just her appearance had changed upon regeneration. Whatever that was, it was enough for Clara to feel the fear within her beginning to fade. The most important thing she could do now was continue. If not for herself or the Doctor, then for her daughter.

“Come on, Clara. Don’t give up!” he pleaded.

She closed her eyes and willed every bit of herself still fighting to win, then took a deep breath and began to push as if she had never done so before. Her screams filled the air as her body tore but she refused to give in to the pain. Failing herself was easy, she was only human after all. But failing the Doctor, that would never leave her.

“That’s it! Just a little bit more!” he called to her.

Attempting to regain herself, she looked to him and pushed as hard as she could. After giving it everything she had, she felt him reach in for the baby and carefully help her the rest of the way out. She gasped at the sensation of her child being pulled from her body, feeling every bit of her familiar warmth leave with her.

“I have her!” he exclaimed. “You’ve done it, Clara!”

Clara collapsed on the cushion and cried tears of elation, knowing her efforts towards bringing life into this world were finally over. A moment later, the cries of their baby girl filled her ears.

Quynn, now free from Clara’s grasp, stood and came around her. She worked to unfasten the cloak from her shoulders and placed the cloth delicately on the floor next to the Time Lord. He nodded his gratitude and carefully placed the newborn upon the warm material. He then reached into the medical bag and pulled out the surgeon’s kit. Unrolling it, he retrieved a pair of clamps and scissors from inside. Quynn removed herself from the couple and allowed them a moment of privacy as he worked to carefully separate the child from her chord and close it off. Once finished, he gently wrapped the tiny infant in the cloak and lifted her into his arms as she continued to cry.

“Is she okay?” Clara asked, worried by the sound of her baby’s distress.

“She’s perfect,” he replied with an over-joyous grin and brought their child around for her to see.

Clara gasped at the sight of the small girl, taking in every bit of her for the first time as fresh tears formed in her eyes. A small tuft of brown hair stuck out from beneath the cloth and not a furrowed brow to be seen. She reached out and gently brushed her finger over her baby’s soft hand then looked to the father of her child. “She’s beautiful, Doctor.”

“Just like her mother,” he noted with a smile, capturing the heart-warming moment between the two most important women in his life. “Look, Clara,” he whispered in awe, carefully holding the tiny infant towards his brightly lit face. “I’m a father again.”

“It suits you,” she replied, smiling at his beaming expression.

“Can we have another?” he asked excitedly.

“You think it can wait five minutes, she’s just been born,” she laughed, holding out her hands as he carefully placed the baby into her arms. As their child began to settle, Clara couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by the love she bore in her heart for her. “I can’t believe we did it.”

He brought his hand to her forehead and lightly stroked her brow. “You were extraordinary.”

“Well one of us had to be,” she grinned up at him. “Whose brilliant idea was it to have you deliver a baby?”

“Yes, well, it would seem we’re a bit short-staffed around here in the baby delivering department,” he noted, returning the smile.

“Well alright. But next time, it’s your go,” she teased.

“Fair enough,” he replied playfully. He leaned in towards his companion and lovingly kissed her brow, then pulled away to gaze into her eyes. “I’m so proud of you, Clara,” he whispered, brushing his fingers across her cheek. He couldn’t express in words the emotions rushing through him as he looked to her. “Oh, Clara. My Clara. You are everything to me,” he professed softly. She smiled up at him as he tenderly looked upon his family together at last. He would never be able to forget this moment for as long as he lived.

“Doctor,” Quynn spoke solemnly from the other side of the room. “It’s time.”

The old man felt his smile slowly fade away as his entire world was dragged back to reality. His eyes lowered from his companion’s face as he woefully hung his head and nodded in understanding.

“No. Please, Doctor. Don’t,” Clara warned, feeling her fear taking hold of her once more.

“I have to,” he confessed, feeling every bit of his hearts tearing apart. No matter how hard he had tried to prepare himself for this moment, there was no avoiding how painful it would be when the time finally arrived. The emotions flowing through him could not have been narrowed down to one alone as they hit him all at once. His hatred, his rage, and his vengeance were taking place upon the forefront of his mind and soul. But so was his love. His fear of losing Clara was stronger than any other emotion combined. In order for him to save her from the duty Quynn was bound by, he would be forced to hurt his beloved companion once more. Finding his courage, he placed his hands on either side of his child.

“No, don’t you dare,” she threatened, her eyes were wide and fierce. “Please, don’t do this. Don’t take her away from me.”

“I have no choice,” he told her, carefully prying the infant from her grasp. The baby began to cry at the disturbance.

“No, wait!” she begged him as he stood with the infant in his arms. “Please! Just a little longer!” she cried out as he moved farther away from her. “Give her back to me! Don’t send her away!” She rolled to her side as best she could and reached towards him, wincing severely at the pain still coursing through her body. “Doctor!” she tried to stop him.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll find a way to get her back, I promise,” he tried to comfort her, holding back his tears. There was no way to know for certain if he would even be able to come through on that promise. All he did know was that it was time for him to be strong enough for both of them.

“Doctor, please! Don’t do this to me!” she screamed, hoping her attempt to bring him back to her would not be in vain. When he did not turn around, she realized how completely powerless she had become. Her tears of devastation turned to streaks of rage as her heart became filled with spite and fury towards him. “You’re a monster!” she shouted without even realizing it and defeatedly collapsed to the floor as her tears fell to the grated metal. The act of his betrayal began to melt every bit of forgiveness she had granted him despite everything he had put her through. There would be no coming back from this now. “I hate you,” she whispered under her sobs.

Her harsh words halted him in place as the wound of her confession shattered his hearts into a million pieces. If they had been made of glass, they surely would have hit the floor and fallen into oblivion. He glanced mournfully at the small baby in his grasp, desperately trying not to be consumed by devastation. “So do I,” he admitted as his self-loathing regained a hold over his emotions. Lifting his gaze, he continued his approach towards Quynn. Each step in her direction felt as if he were treading through a bog thick with despair. Finally reaching her, he took one last look at his child as if there was a small sliver of hope that somehow this wouldn’t be goodbye. At least not for long. He sighed with a painfully heavy heart then carefully placed his daughter into her own open arms as Clara continued to sob behind him.

Quynn stared at the small creature in her grasp, knowing how pleased her mother would surely be at her success. The child calmed herself in the stranger’s arms and gazed up at her in amazement through her perfect blue-grey eyes. As Quynn glanced towards the tiny being, she couldn’t help but wonder how something so small could be so important to the woman whose love she fought so hard for.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?” the Doctor spoke softly, observing Quynn’s curious expression as she studied the small girl. “So much wonder and love in her eyes. She has no concept of vengeance or hatred, no idea what will be waiting for her out there in the universe or what her fate will be. Her story has yet to be written. There’s still a chance for her to grow up to be anything she wants to be.”

As the Doctor’s words resonated into her thoughts, Quynn felt a level of uncertainty she had never experienced before. At that moment, she realized the child’s life was now entirely in her hands. She had witnessed countless children burn by her destructive nature without even a second thought. So why was this one any different? What was so important about this child to cause the malfunction taking place within her? Whatever the reason for her mother’s interest in the Doctor’s child, she suddenly found herself torn between obeying a direct order or saving this one small girl from a possible future identical to her own. As her thoughts continued to consume her, she felt a familiar electricity within her fingertips from someone like herself calling out to her. Bringing her hand towards the baby’s, she allowed the being’s tiny outstretched fingers to wrap around one of her own. A sudden flash of light engulfed her as the child’s fragmented memories were downloaded into her subconscious. She opened her mind’s eye to find herself standing alone in a field of green grass. The sun shone down upon her from the vibrant blue sky as birds chirped noisily from the surrounding forest. The wind around her carried with it a symphony of whispered voices as if they were speaking to her all at once. She circled her position as if searching for their source. The indecipherable voices became louder and louder until she found herself covering her ears at their intensity. And then silence. Lowering her hands to her sides, she saw something in the distance that had not been there before. A mother and child. She cautiously approached the recognizable form of the woman dressed in white kneeling before a small brown-haired girl. As she drew closer, the child unexpectedly turned her head to acknowledge the new visitor and smiled in her direction. Quynn halted at their eyes connection to each other, unable to tear herself away nor explain the sinking feeling in her stomach telling her that she had somehow seen this girl before. Suddenly, a familiar voice she knew very well forced its way into her mind. She’s our daughter, Clara, the Doctor’s words whispered through her thoughts just as she remembered them. The vision both disturbed and frightened her so effortlessly, it forced the link between them to break.

The sound of the infant’s cries returned her to reality. Glancing at the small baby, she gently pulled her hand from hers and turned her attention towards the Doctor’s raised brow. The vision of what she had seen was still strong within her mind. Though she did not fully understand its meaning, she had not anticipated the effect it would have on her. It felt so real and yet so familiar all at the same time. She lowered her eyes from his to return them to the crying child within her grasp. “She’s hungry,” she told him, fighting her emotions so he wouldn’t see. And then, without any careful consideration, she placed the child into the Doctor’s arms as he stared at her in a bewildered state of confusion. Turning from him, she quickly headed for the door before her regrets had caused her to change her mind.

“Quynn,” he called to her, watching as she halted to glance over her shoulder in his direction. “Thank you.”

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently in response before finally exiting the ship.

[christianitywithouttheinsanity]

1 Kings 22; 2 Chr 18; Matt 2

Discuss in the comments section.

The following text is from the English Standard Version.

1 Kings 22

22:1 For three years Syria and Israel continued without war. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel. 3 And the king of Israel said to his servants, “Do you know that Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, and we keep quiet and do not take it out of the hand of the king of Syria?” 4 And he said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?” And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”

5 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 6 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 7 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 8 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah, but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 9 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 10 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 11 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 12 And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

13 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 14 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.” 15 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?” And he answered him, “Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” 16 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 17 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” 18 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 19 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him on his right hand and on his left; 20 and the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 21 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ 22 And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 23 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has declared disaster for you.”

24 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “How did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” 25 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 26 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah, and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 27 and say, ‘Thus says the king, “Put this fellow in prison and feed him meager rations of bread and water, until I come in peace.”’” 28 And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 30 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Syria had commanded the thirty-two captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 32 And when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is surely the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out. 33 And when the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 34 But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 35 And the battle continued that day, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians, until at evening he died. And the blood of the wound flowed into the bottom of the chariot. 36 And about sunset a cry went through the army, “Every man to his city, and every man to his country!”

37 So the king died, and was brought to Samaria. And they buried the king in Samaria. 38 And they washed the chariot by the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood, and the prostitutes washed themselves in it, according to the word of the Lord that he had spoken. 39 Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house that he built and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel? 40 So Ahab slept with his fathers, and Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.

41 Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi. 43 He walked in all the way of Asa his father. He did not turn aside from it, doing what was right in the sight of the Lord. Yet the high places were not taken away, and the people still sacrificed and made offerings on the high places. 44 Jehoshaphat also made peace with the king of Israel.

45 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 46 And from the land he exterminated the remnant of the male cult prostitutes who remained in the days of his father Asa.

47 There was no king in Edom; a deputy was king. 48 Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber. 49 Then Ahaziah the son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, “Let my servants go with your servants in the ships,” but Jehoshaphat was not willing. 50 And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father, and Jehoram his son reigned in his place.

51 Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned two years over Israel. 52 He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. 53 He served Baal and worshiped him and provoked the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger in every way that his father had done. (ESV)

2 Chr 18

18:1 Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and he made a marriage alliance with Ahab. 2 After some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him, and induced him to go up against Ramoth-gilead. 3 Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, “Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead?” He answered him, “I am as you are, my people as your people. We will be with you in the war.”

4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, “Inquire first for the word of the Lord.” 5 Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, four hundred men, and said to them, “Shall we go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?” And they said, “Go up, for God will give it into the hand of the king.” 6 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there not here another prophet of the Lord of whom we may inquire?” 7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, Micaiah the son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but always evil.” And Jehoshaphat said, “Let not the king say so.” 8 Then the king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imlah.” 9 Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes. And they were sitting at the threshing floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria, and all the prophets were prophesying before them. 10 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made for himself horns of iron and said, “Thus says the Lord, ‘With these you shall push the Syrians until they are destroyed.’” 11 And all the prophets prophesied so and said, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph. The Lord will give it into the hand of the king.”

12 And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Behold, the words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king. Let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak favorably.” 13 But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what my God says, that I will speak.” 14 And when he had come to the king, the king said to him, “Micaiah, shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I refrain?” And he answered, “Go up and triumph; they will be given into your hand.” 15 But the king said to him, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord?” 16 And he said, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the Lord said, ‘These have no master; let each return to his home in peace.’” 17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?” 18 And Micaiah said, “Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand and on his left. 19 And the Lord said, ‘Who will entice Ahab the king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one said one thing, and another said another. 20 Then a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, ‘I will entice him.’ And the Lord said to him, ‘By what means?’ 21 And he said, ‘I will go out, and will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ And he said, ‘You are to entice him, and you shall succeed; go out and do so.’ 22 Now therefore behold, the Lord has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets. The Lord has declared disaster concerning you.”

23 Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near and struck Micaiah on the cheek and said, “Which way did the Spirit of the Lord go from me to speak to you?” 24 And Micaiah said, “Behold, you shall see on that day when you go into an inner chamber to hide yourself.” 25 And the king of Israel said, “Seize Micaiah and take him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son, 26 and say, ‘Thus says the king, Put this fellow in prison and feed him with meager rations of bread and water until I return in peace.’” 27 And Micaiah said, “If you return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.” And he said, “Hear, all you peoples!”

28 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramoth-gilead. 29 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and go into battle, but you wear your robes.” And the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went into battle. 30 Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of his chariots, “Fight with neither small nor great, but only with the king of Israel.” 31 As soon as the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “It is the king of Israel.” So they turned to fight against him. And Jehoshaphat cried out, and the Lord helped him; God drew them away from him. 32 For as soon as the captains of the chariots saw that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back from pursuing him. 33 But a certain man drew his bow at random and struck the king of Israel between the scale armor and the breastplate. Therefore he said to the driver of his chariot, “Turn around and carry me out of the battle, for I am wounded.” 34 And the battle continued that day, and the king of Israel was propped up in his chariot facing the Syrians until evening. Then at sunset he died. (ESV)

Matt 2

2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

13 Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 14 And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

19 But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” 21 And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. 23 And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled: “He shall be called a Nazarene.” (ESV)

The reading plan I’ve chosen is from Bible Class Material and it’s a 5 day plan, with weekend days to catch up or get ahead or just take a break!

http://ift.tt/2hfNLzf